A telephone headset typically includes at least one speaker and a microphone. Certain headsets include a headband wherein the speaker is attached to the headband such that when the headband is placed upon the user's head, the speaker is disposed over one of the user's ears. If a second speaker is provided, it is attached to the headband such that the second speaker is disposed over the user's other ear. The microphone is typically positioned near or in front of the user's mouth at a first end of a microphone boom, the second end of the microphone boom being attached to the headband. Other headsets are secured to the user's head by means other than a headband, though such headsets typically include a microphone boom for positioning the microphone near the user's mouth. Telephone headsets can be corded or cordless.
It can be desirable for the user to control an operative condition of the headset. U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,029, and entitled, "Cordless Telephone Switch And Line Selector," discloses a cordless headset having a mouthpiece arm that is pivotable with respect to the headband. The mouthpiece arm is provided with a pivot means at an end opposite the mouthpiece such that rotation of the mouthpiece arm upward locates the mouthpiece, and microphone located therein, superiorly to the user's head and simultaneously disconnects power to the radio portion of the headset. This is accomplished by ganging the pivot means to a wiper-containing rotary switch. Lowering the mouthpiece arm such that the microphone is brought in line with the user's mouth rotates the switch wiper away from the "off" position and toward an "on" position, thus, connecting the microphone and powering the radio. Additional "on" positions are provided, each for a separate radio transmission channel.
The wiper and contacts of the aforementioned device may become misaligned, contaminated or worn, thus, reducing the reliability of the device.
A product, the HelloSet Cordless.TM. disclosed in Hello Direct, Inc.'s "Catalog of Telephone Productivity Tools," Spring 1994, discloses a headset having a single speaker and a rotatable microphone boom. Mechanical switches within the headset are responsive to the position of the microphone boom; the boom is positioned up for storage (off), down for use (on) and in the middle for mute.
The mechanical switches of the aforementioned product may also become misaligned or worn, thus, reducing the reliability of the device. Further, the mechanical switches tend to be relatively large in comparison to electrical components included in the aforementioned product. Therefore, what is needed is a technique for controlling an operative condition of a headset that does not suffer from the aforementioned drawbacks.